Tak Hyun-min "March 6, 2023, Today is Gye-myo Gukchi Day"

Criticism of Government's Forced Labor Compensation Solution

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Former Blue House Protocol Secretary Tak Hyun-min criticized the South Korean government's 'third-party payment' plan for compensation to victims of forced labor under Japanese colonial rule announced on the 6th, calling it "Today is the Gye-myo National Humiliation Day." This term attaches the expression "national humiliation" to the year 2023, Gye-myo year, just as the year 1910, when Korea lost its sovereignty to Japan, is referred to as "Gyeongsul National Humiliation," meaning a national disgrace.

In a post on his Facebook on the same day, Tak said, "History never simply passes by; it always comes back. In the face of this undeniable fact, I deeply reflect on today's shame."

He added, "I have always felt heavy-hearted while organizing (independence) commemorative events. It was the same every time I met independence activists, their descendants, comfort women, and forced labor victims."

He continued, "When I first visited the residence of General Hong Beom-do in Kazakhstan, the veterans affairs officials and Blue House staff who accompanied me shed tears," explaining, "It was not because our hearts were overwhelmed, but because we were ashamed of the meagerness of the preserved residence."

Tak said, "The price of the independence movement did not end with the death of the individuals involved. The hardships of those individuals, as well as the poverty and humiliation passed down through generations, were not much different even until yesterday," adding, "Each time, I was ashamed that the Republic of Korea was really only capable of this much."

He then added, "It is not that efforts were not made to correct this, but today I painfully realize that the results were not completed."

He concluded, "Perhaps today's humiliation cannot be blamed solely on the current government's foolishness. Looking back on the numerous independence and liberation anniversaries since the establishment of the Republic of Korea government until now, I reflect on how complacent, indifferent, and negligent we have been."

On the same morning, Foreign Minister Park Jin announced at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building a compensation solution for victims of forced labor under Japanese colonial rule who received a final ruling for compensation from the Supreme Court in 2018. The plan involves the 'Foundation for Supporting Victims of Forced Mobilization under Japanese Colonial Rule,' under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, making third-party payments on behalf of the Japanese defendant companies for the court-ordered compensation.

The forced labor victims strongly oppose this. The Institute for Korean Historical Issues and legal representatives supporting the victims issued a statement on the same day, criticizing, "The Korean executive branch is exempting Japanese companies responsible for forced mobilization from judicial accountability," and added, "By consistently taking a submissive stance toward the Japanese government, this humiliating solution has been reached without any apology from Japan or any financial burden on Japan regarding the forced mobilization issue."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.